It was noon, and everyone had finally returned to Nagot City. Maria's restaurant came first on the route, so Vedanshi got off there.
She was exhausted. Dropping her bag on the couch inside the restaurant, she sank into it with a sigh. Just then, Maria appeared.
"I missed you so much!" she said warmly, handing Vedanshi a glass of water and hugging her tight.
"I missed you too," Vedanshi replied softly, and the two pulled apart, "By the way, how was your trip?" Maria asked, settling down beside her.
"It was amazing, Maria. You know, I really admire our university, they organized such a big site visit and didn't even charge us for it. That's pretty great," Vedanshi said with a cheerful smile.
"Well, that's because it's a central university," Maria explained. "The funding comes from both the Centre and the State, so they don't squeeze money out of students like other colleges do."
"You must be tired. Go take some rest," Maria said, patting Vedanshi's head affectionately.
Vedanshi climbed up the stairs to her room, lay down on the bed, and picked up her phone. She had clicked a lot of photos during the trip, many of them had Nayan in the frame. For a while, she just stared at his pictures, lost in thought, then sighed deeply and lay back.
That same night, Nayan lay on his bed, eyes shut, but his mind refused to rest. He could still see Parth holding his hand, the moment they became friends again.
"Oh no, no, no!" he muttered, shaking his head. "I shouldn't be thinking about all this again. I'm a professor, for heaven's sake. I can't cross the line between a teacher and a student. She's young… and I…" He stopped, pressing his palm against his forehead.
"No. I have to keep my distance. I need to stay in control." Mumbling to himself, Nayan finally drifted off to sleep.
The next day, everyone was back at college.
Vedanshi walked through the main gate as she always did. She never took a lift from anyone, walking here gave her a kind of peace she couldn't find elsewhere.
On both sides of the road stood tall tecoma and kaner trees, their branches heavy with blossoms that filled the summer air. The entire road stayed shaded, carpeted with fallen yellow and red petals that made it look almost heavenly. The fragrance of the flowers lingered in the air rich, delicate, and calming. Many students often sat under those trees after class, laughing or chatting. Vedanshi loved that path more than anything.
As soon as she reached the department, a girl from the History section approached her.
"Vedanshi, Mishra Sir has called you to his office."
"Oh no, what did I do now…" she muttered under her breath and made her way to the office.
"May I come in, sir?" Vedanshi said at the door, "Come in," came Mishra Sir's deep, commanding voice.
Vedanshi stepped inside,"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of him. Vedanshi sat down quietly, her heart thumping in curiosity.
"I've gone through your file," said Mishra Sir, adjusting his glasses as he looked at Vedanshi. "You've done an excellent job. What I appreciate most is your attention to detail, every explanation is thorough, every fact carefully chosen. That's the true mark of an archaeologist. We've formed a research team that works on the Baisakhi River sites, and I've decided to include you in it. Usually, only professors and PhD scholars are part of the project, but your capability has impressed me. I believe you'll do well."
Vedanshi's eyes lit up with excitement,"Thank you, sir. I promise I won't let you down," she said earnestly, before leaving the office. Her heart was dancing, she could hardly contain her joy.
"Hey, Vedanshi! Where have you been?" Sagar called out from across the corridor. "Come on, we've been called to the digital lab!"
Vedanshi hurried over to him, and together they rushed inside. The room was buzzing, seniors and juniors had all gathered. Nayan and Mithil were already there.
"So, juniors," Mithil said with his usual calm authority, "have you all decided whose team you'll be joining?"
Sagar and Nikhil quickly spoke up. "We'd like to join Dhayani Sir's team," they said. "We're planning to do our PhDs under him later."
Akshay and Parthvi chose Mithil's team. Meanwhile, Vedanshi and Parth decided to go with Nayan. The seniors had already formed their teams last year, so the group was soon set.
Later, everyone gathered in the canteen. Sagar and Nikhil were devouring food like they hadn't eaten in days. Three or four plates were already piled in front of them, yet they kept stealing from each other's dishes.
"So that's why you two decided to join the same team," Akshay grumbled. "You just needed company for eating competitions."
"We're eating so we'll have enough strength to run for our lives," Sagar replied without even looking up, his mouth full.
"I didn't understand a word of that," Vedanshi said, puzzled. "Please explain it again."
"Why not," Sagar said dramatically, finally glancing up.
"The thing is, Sanjana ma'am has invited us to her house this evening," Nikhil added, lowering his voice.
"But why?" Akshay asked, frowning.
"You forget, we're the Kabadi Band," Sagar said, smirking. "That recycling project, remember? Ma'am said she's found some kind of solution for it, so we've got to go. But I don't know… something feels off. She's never this helpful without a reason."
"It doesn't have to be suspicious, Sagar," Vedanshi said casually, leaning back in her chair. "She's running for mayor, remember? Maybe she's helping us for political reasons. Stop overthinking and just come along."
"Can't you guys take me with you?"
The voice came from behind, and everyone turned. It was Parth.
"I know you don't really like me," he said hesitantly, "but I'd like to work with you all on the plastic management project."
Everyone glanced at Vedanshi. She shrugged,"I don't have a problem," she said simply.
And just like that, Parth had joined their strange little team, one that had no idea what awaited them that evening.
Ever since Parth had helped Vedanshi, others had started liking him too. Truth be told, Parth wasn't a bad person, he simply lacked the courage to stand up to his father for the sake of truth. And Vedanshi wasn't angry that he hadn't married her. What hurt her was that he had made a promise, a promise that had given her the strength to convince her father. That promise had meant everything.
But even after everything that had happened, Parth never reached out to Vedanshi again. The phone had always been with her. It was because of that very phone that she had been locked in a room for a year. Had she not escaped, she would still be imprisoned in that same room.
It was Nayan who had kept her going during those dark days. His positivity had been her lifeline. His motivation gave her the strength to break free. Otherwise, she had been on the verge of ending it all. Ironically, Nayan himself was going through a terrible phase at the time. But that was his gift, he always smiled, no matter what. He never gave up.
Not that Nayan didn't feel anger or lacked strength to fight injustice. But Sanjana had created such circumstances that he had no choice. Still, he kept his pain buried deep within.
Vedanshi, who once cried over the smallest things, had grown stronger. That's why she had begun to let Parth back into her life. Had it been earlier, she might have broken down in front of him. But now, she has stopped crying for anyone.
"Vedanshi! Vedanshi!" Akshay's sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"What's happening? What are you thinking?" he asked.
"Are we leaving or not?" he repeated.
Vedanshi replied, "That's all fine, but I was just wondering… what will happen to Sagar and Nikhil now? And to us? We already had two hungry buffaloes grazing, and now there's one more."
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Nikhil asked, while Sagar, Akshay, and Parth stared at her in confusion.
"I mean, Parth is just like you two, starving souls from a past life. Maybe even hungrier than you," Vedanshi said, shaking her head.
Sagar and Nikhil quickly pulled their plates closer, while Akshay smacked his forehead in disbelief. Parth, on the other hand, was quietly happy. Vedanshi no longer held any grudges against him.
"I just need to slowly win back her trust. I'll always wish for our friendship to last a lifetime," Parth thought to himself.
"Guys, I'll handle the rest of the work too. But Sanjana and Parthavi must not find out that I'm with you. Otherwise, they'll never help us," Parth said.
"Okay, no problem. Whatever works for you," Vedanshi replied.
Sagar added, "But do you really think Sanjana Ma'am won't find out? She always knows everything. You'll only move forward in life once you stop being afraid of her." Parth nodded slowly. And then, the five of them walked away together.
"Can you come with me?" Parth asked Vedanshi as he stood in the parking lot, adjusting his helmet. "I'm heading to the Rich Hill, Sanjana's place. Parthavi's already there."
Vedanshi considered for a moment. It makes sense, she thought. If I reach early, I can help Maria with a few things before heading to Sanjana's.
She nodded without hesitation and climbed onto Parth's bike. The engine roared to life, and they sped off. Sagar and Nikhil followed on another bike, while Akshay rode solo behind them.
From the office window, Nayan watched them leave. His hands rested on the sill, his gaze fixed and troubled. Peace was nowhere to be found in his heart.